Isaiah 53
ืืฉืขืืื ืคืจืง ื ืดื
Section: ื ืืืืื ยท ื ืืืืื ืืืจืื ืื | Book: Isaiah | Chapter: 53 of 66 | Day: 200 of 742
Date: August 30, 2026
ืงืืืื ืขื ืื ืดื
Chapter 53 is the heart of the fourth and final Servant Song, which actually opens three verses earlier at the end of the previous chapter (52:13, โBehold, My servant shall prosperโ). To read the chapter correctly one must recognize whose voice is speaking. The classical Jewish commentators are unanimous on the central point: the servant here is not an individual but Klal Yisrael, the people of Israel personified as a single suffering figure. Rashi states this explicitly, noting that โit is the manner of this prophet to speak of all Israel as one man,โ pointing back to earlier passages in Isaiah where God addresses โMy servant Jacobโ and โMy servant Israel.โ Radak likewise identifies the servant plainly as Israel, and Metzudat David reads the entire chapter as the story of Israelโs degradation and eventual exaltation among the nations. The โweโ and โtheyโ who speak in astonishment throughout the opening verses are the nations and their kings, who at the time of redemption come to a stunned reappraisal of the people they had scorned.
The chapterโs dramatic structure is a confession placed in the mouths of the nations. In verses 1 through 6 the kings of the earth, gazing at Israelโs sudden restoration and glory, admit that the report now unfolding before their eyes is one they never would have believed. They recall how the servant grew up unregarded, like a sapling in dry ground, without stately form or beauty, despised and shunned, a man of sorrows familiar with grief. During the long centuries of exile they had assumed that Israelโs affliction was a sign of divine rejection, that Israel was โstricken, smitten by God.โ Now they confess the opposite: โSurely he bore our sicknesses and carried our sorrowsโ the suffering they witnessed was in truth borne on their account, for Israel absorbed the punishment and hostility of the very nations among whom it dwelt. โWe all went astray like sheep,โ they say, โand the Lord visited upon him the guilt of us all.โ
The middle of the chapter, verses 7 through 9, dwells on the quality of Israelโs endurance. Oppressed and afflicted, the servant did not open his mouth, silent as a lamb led to slaughter and a ewe before her shearers. Radak draws out the image with care, noting that the ewe rather than the ram is chosen because the female is the weaker animal, mirroring Israelโs frailty in exile. Taken away by oppressive judgment, cut off from the land of the living, the servant was assigned a grave among the wicked though he had done no violence and spoken no deceit. Rashi and Radak both understand this as martyrdom: Israel could have escaped death at any moment by abandoning the Torah and adopting the ways of the nations, yet chose to surrender itself rather than betray its faith, dying โfor Your sake all the day long.โ
The final movement, verses 10 through 12, turns from the nationsโ confession to Godโs own promise of vindication. Radak marks the pivot precisely, observing that the words of the nations end within verse 10 and from there onward it is the voice of God Himself. What the nations had mistaken for a sign of abandonment was in fact the divine will working toward a hidden end. Israel, having poured out its soul unto death and endured being numbered among sinners, will now see offspring, prolong its days, and prosper. The righteous servant will bring many to righteousness through the knowledge of God, and God will apportion him a portion among the great. Metzudat David and Radak read the closing verses eschatologically, linking the servantโs reward to the downfall of Gog and Magog and the ingathering foretold by Zechariah and Ezekiel.
The enduring power of this chapter, in the classical Jewish reading, lies in its reversal of appearances. Suffering that the world took as proof of guilt is revealed as undeserved and redemptive on a national scale; the people held of no account become the instrument through which the nations themselves are brought to truth and peace. The silent endurance of exile is not weakness but faithfulness, and the ultimate exaltation of Israel astonishes precisely those who had despised it most. The Servant Song thus completes the arc of consolation that runs through the second half of Isaiah, insisting that the humiliation of Israel among the nations is neither the last word nor a verdict of rejection, but the prelude to a vindication so complete that the kings of the earth will fall silent before it.
ืคืจืง ื ืดื ยท Chapter 53
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 1
Hebrew:
ืึดึฅื ืึถืึฑืึดึืื ืึดืฉืึฐืึปืขึธืชึตึื ืึผ ืึผืึฐืจึฅืึนืขึท ืึฐืึนืึธึื ืขึทืึพืึดึฅื ื ึดืึฐืึธึฝืชึธืื
English:
โWho can believe what we have heard?Upon whom has the arm of GODathe arm of GOD I.e., the vindication that the arm of GOD effects. been revealed?
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 2
Hebrew:
ืึทืึผึทึจืขึทื ืึผึทืึผืึนื ึตึืง ืึฐืคึธื ึธึืื ืึฐืึทืฉืึผึนึืจึถืฉืึ ืึตืึถึฃืจึถืฅ ืฆึดืึผึธึื ืึนืึพืชึนึฅืึทืจ ืึืึน ืึฐืึนึฃื ืึธืึธึืจ ืึฐื ึดืจึฐืึตึฅืืึผ ืึฐืึนึฝืึพืึทืจึฐืึถึื ืึฐื ึถืึฐืึฐืึตึฝืืึผื
English:
For he has grown, by Godโs favor, like a tree crown,Like a tree trunk out of arid ground.He had no form or beauty, that we should look at him:No charm, that we should find him pleasing.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 3
Hebrew:
ื ึดืึฐืึถืึ ืึทืึฒืึทึฃื ืึดืืฉืึดึืื ืึดึฅืืฉื ืึทืึฐืึนืึืึนืช ืึดืืึฃืึผืขึท ืึนึืึดื ืึผืึฐืึทืกึฐืชึผึตึคืจ ืคึผึธื ึดืืึ ืึดืึผึถึื ๏ฟฝ๏ฟฝืึผ ื ึดืึฐืึถึื ืึฐืึนึฅื ืึฒืฉืึทืึฐื ึปึฝืืึผื
English:
He was despised, shunned by others,bshunned by others Meaning of Heb. uncertain. A man of suffering, familiar with disease.As one who hid his face from us,cAs one who hid his face from us I.e., as a leper; cf. Lev. 13.45ff. He was despised, we held him of no account.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 4
Hebrew:
ืึธืึตึคื ืึณืึธืึตึื ืึผึ ืึฃืึผื ื ึธืฉืึธึื ืึผืึทืึฐืึนืึตึืื ืึผ ืกึฐืึธืึธึื ืึทืึฒื ึทึฃืึฐื ืึผ ืึฒืฉืึทืึฐื ึปึืืึผ ื ึธืึืึผืขึท ืึปืึผึตึฅื ืึฑืึนืึดึืื ืึผืึฐืขึปื ึผึถึฝืื
English:
Yet it was our sickness that he was bearing,Our suffering that he endured.We accounted him plagued,Smitten and afflicted by God;
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 5
Hebrew:
ืึฐืืึผืึ ืึฐืึนืึธึฃื ืึดืคึผึฐืฉืึธืขึตึื ืึผ ืึฐืึปืึผึธึื ืึตืขึฒืึบื ึนืชึตึืื ืึผ ืืึผืกึทึคืจ ืฉืึฐืืึนืึตึื ืึผึ ืขึธืึธึืื ืึผืึทืึฒืึปืจึธืชึืึน ื ึดืจึฐืคึผึธืึพืึธึฝื ืึผื
English:
But he was wounded because of our sins,Crushed because of our iniquities.He bore the chastisement that made us whole,And by his bruises we were healed.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 6
Hebrew:
ืึผึปืึผึธึื ืึผึ ืึผึทืฆึผึนึฃืื ืชึผึธืขึดึืื ืึผ ืึดึฅืืฉื ืึฐืึทืจึฐืึผึืึน ืคึผึธื ึดึืื ืึผ ืึทืืึนืึธืึ ืึดืคึฐืึผึดึฃืืขึท ืึผึืึน ืึตึืช ืขึฒืึบึฅื ืึผึปืึผึธึฝื ืึผื
English:
We all went astray like sheep,Each of us going our own way;And GOD visited upon himThe guilt of all of us.โ
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 7
Hebrew:
ื ึดืึผึทึจืฉื ืึฐืึฃืึผื ื ึทืขึฒื ึถืึฎ ืึฐืึนึฃื ืึดืคึฐืชึผึทืึพืคึผึดืืึ ืึผึทืฉืึผึถืึ ืึทืึผึถึฃืึทื ืืึผืึธึื ืึผืึฐืจึธืึตึื ืึดืคึฐื ึตึฅื ืึนืึฐืึถึืืึธ ื ึถืึฑืึธึืึธื ืึฐืึนึฅื ืึดืคึฐืชึผึทึื ืคึผึดึฝืืื
English:
He was maltreated, yet he was submissive,He did not open his mouth;Like a sheep being led to slaughter,Like a ewe, dumb before those who shear her,He did not open his mouth.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 8
Hebrew:
ืึตืขึนึคืฆึถืจ ืึผืึดืึผึดืฉืึฐืคึผึธืึ ืึปืงึผึธึื ืึฐืึถืชึพืึผืึนืจึืึน ืึดึฃื ืึฐืฉืืึนืึตึืึท ืึผึดึคื ื ึดืึฐืึทืจึ ืึตืึถึฃืจึถืฅ ืึทืึผึดึืื ืึดืคึผึถึฅืฉืึทืข ืขึทืึผึดึื ื ึถึฅืึทืข ืึธึฝืืึนื
English:
By oppressive judgment he was taken away,Who could describe his abode?dWho could describe his abode? Meaning of Heb. uncertain. For he was cut off from the land of the livingThrough the sin of my people, who deserved the punishment.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 9
Hebrew:
ืึทืึผึดืชึผึตึคื ืึถืชึพืจึฐืฉืึธืขึดืืึ ืงึดืึฐืจึืึน ืึฐืึถืชึพืขึธืฉืึดึืืจ ืึผึฐืึนืชึธึืื ืขึทึื ืึนืึพืึธืึธึฃืก ืขึธืฉืึธึื ืึฐืึนึฅื ืึดืจึฐืึธึื ืึผึฐืคึดึฝืืื
English:
And his grave was set among the wicked,And with the rich, in his deatheAnd with the rich, in his death Emendation yields โAnd his tomb with evildoers.โโThough he had done no injusticeAnd had spoken no falsehood.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 10
Hebrew:
ืึทืืึนืึธึื ืึธืคึตึคืฅ ืึผึทืึผึฐืืึนึ ืึถืึฑืึดึื ืึดืึพืชึผึธืฉืึดึคืื ืึธืฉืึธืึ ื ึทืคึฐืฉืึืึน ืึดืจึฐืึถึฅื ืึถึืจึทืข ืึทืึฒืจึดึฃืืึฐ ืึธืึดึืื ืึฐืึตึฅืคึถืฅ ืึฐืึนืึธึื ืึผึฐืึธืึฅืึน ืึดืฆึฐืึธึฝืื
English:
But GOD chose to crush him by disease,That, if he made himself an offering for guilt,fby disease, / โฆ for guilt Meaning of Heb. uncertain. He might see offspringgoffspring Emendation yields โHis arm,โ i.e., Godโs vindication; cf. v. 1 with note. and have long life,And that through him GODโs purpose might prosper.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 11
Hebrew:
ืึตืขึฒืึทึคื ื ึทืคึฐืฉืืึนึ ืึดืจึฐืึถึฃื ืึดืฉืึฐืึผึธึืข ืึผึฐืึทืขึฐืชึผึืึน ืึทืฆึฐืึผึดึฅืืง ืฆึทืึผึดึืืง ืขึทืึฐืึผึดึื ืึธืจึทืึผึดึืื ืึทืขึฒืึบื ึนืชึธึื ืึฅืึผื ืึดืกึฐืึผึนึฝืื
English:
Out of his anguish he shall see it;hit I.e., the arm of GOD; see preceding note. He shall enjoy it to the full through his devotion.idevotion For this sense of daสปath see 11.2, 9. โMy righteous servant makes the many righteous,It is their punishment that he bears;
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 12
Hebrew:
ืึธืึตึื ืึฒืึทืึผึถืงึพืึฃืึน ืึธืจึทืึผึดึืื ืึฐืึถืชึพืขึฒืฆืึผืึดืืึฎ ืึฐืึทืึผึตึฃืง ืฉืึธืึธืึ ืชึผึทึืึทืช ืึฒืฉืึถึจืจ ืึถืขึฑืจึธึคื ืึทืึผึธึืึถืชึ ื ึทืคึฐืฉืึืึน ืึฐืึถืชึพืคึผึนืฉืึฐืขึดึืื ื ึดืึฐื ึธึื ืึฐืืึผืึ ืึตืึฐืึพืจึทืึผึดึฃืื ื ึธืฉืึธึื ืึฐืึทืคึผึนืฉืึฐืขึดึืื ืึทืคึฐืึผึดึฝืืขึทืย {ืค}
English:
Assuredly, I will give him the many as his portion,He shall receive the multitude as his spoil.For he exposed himself to deathAnd was numbered among the sinners,Whereas he bore the guilt of the manyAnd made intercession for sinners.โ
โถCommentaries (1)